Winter Angel
by RandomWriter3658
Summary: Jack has discovered that the Winter Angel, advocate for the season, has been killed by Pitch who is making his comeback.Without an advocate, winter will cease to exist and as a result, so will Jack. Lily Tanaka is a young, motherless girl who lives with her abusive father. She is rescued by Jack and told she is the next Winter Candidate. Can she do it? Mature content.
1. Chapter 1

_Story Summary:_

_Two years after the defeat of Pitch. Jack has discovered that the Winter Angel, advocate for the season, has been killed by Pitch who is making his comeback. Without an advocate, winter will cease to exist and as a result, so will Jack. Lily Tanaka is a young, motherless girl who lives with her abusive father, living her life wondering if the next day will come. She is a candidate for the next Winter Angel and despite never actually learning of Jack's existence, is able to see him. With the help of her new-found friend, Lily takes on the challenge of becoming the new Winter Angel, experiencing a whole new side to life that she never thought could be possible. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the story Rise of the Guardians. Purely fanfic._

* * *

_Chapter 1:_

Lily Tanaka sighed as she opened the door, closing it quietly behind herself before trudging towards the stairs to her room:  
"And where have you been?" She froze as the lights flickered on, looking back over her shoulder:  
"Hi Dad..." She gasped as a glass came hurtling at her head, ducking:  
"I didn't ask you to greet me, I asked where the fuck you were!" She nodded quickly, coming back down the stairs towards him while digging in her bag:  
"I-I was just at work...h-here's the money I made today..." She flinched as he snatched the money from her, wringing her hands nervously: "It's a little more than yesterday...Is that okay?" Brett Tanners plopped down on the couch next to his bottle of Scotch, silently counting out the money:  
"$145...not bad kid, looks like I won't have to beat you to make up the difference." He tossed her a twenty, flipping on the television: "Go to bed, you're interrupting my quiet time." Lily bowed slightly, tiptoeing up the stairs:  
"Goodnight dad..."

* * *

Jack chuckled as he flitted down the street, freezing a small puddle of water under a pedestrians feet. The man yelped, crashing to the ground in a pile of flailing arms and legs:  
"Ha ha ha, that'll teach you to watch where you're going." He blinked as the faint sound of glass breaking reached his ears, turning to face that direction: "Who's breaking things so late at night?" He flew forward, looking around the streets as he did. He paused as a light came on in the attic of the house across the street from him, slowly floating to the porch of said light. A small girl walked tiredly into the room, her shoulders and head slumped forward. Jack could feel the sadness and grief emanating from her. But why?

His curiosity now piqued, he landed on the porch, quietly pushing the door open. He jumped as her head snapped up, quickly shimmying inside before she closed the doors. Well, looks like he'd be spending the night with this girl. He froze as she sniffled, taking a step closer to see her face; small tears fell from her almond-shaped eyes, staining her tanned cheeks with their trails. She wiped at her face half-heartedly, turning away from the doors towards a small desk in the corner. She sank down into the chair, pulling out a small picture frame from one of the drawers. Jack felt compelled to investigate as she stared at it emptily, moving behind her to get a better look.

STATE NEWS:  
MOTHER RAPED AND MURDERED BY THE "BOOGEYMAN"  
FACT OR FICTION?

_32 year old Kikyo Tanaka was found brutally murdered in an alley this morning along with her 9_ _year old daughter Lily Tanaka who was fortunately unharmed. Upon further inspection it was discovered that the young mother was raped repeatedly, but by whom has not been revealed. Her murder was described as "gruesome" by the garbage man who found them, his description of the scene as thus: "There was blood everywhere and it was hard to tell exactly what had happened because there was so much of it and over such a vast area. When I found her, her clothes were ripped and torn and I happened upon a lump of something which I realized was her heart. At that moment I nearly jumped out of my skin as something grabbed me from behind, but I was soon relieved to discover it was merely a child. It was then that I realized what had happened. The poor kid had seen everything." _

_Despite several sessions with different psychiatrists, Lily Tanaka never said anything more than one thing: It was the Boogeyman. Now of course this type of reaction can only be expected of a child who witnessed her mothers murder and is trying to suppress those memories, but that still leaves one to wonder: who was it? Why would the child describe the attacker as the "boogeyman"? More to be revealed in tomorrow's special. _

That had been eight years ago. Jack gritted his teeth as the small girl sobbed once, wanting so badly to reach out and comfort her as she covered her mouth to stifle her cries. Pitch kept becoming more and more despicable to him as he continued learning of his deeds and their actions of banishing Pitch back to the dark hell-hole he had crawled out of pleased him more than anything at the moment. He snapped out of his angry mental rant as she opened the back of the picture frame, smiling as she stared down at a picture. The woman in the frame must have been her mother they looked that similar. The woman had large, almond eyes and long flowing brown hair. She smiled up at the camera, a small child giggling in her arms. That must have been Lily. He glanced down at her softly as she sniffed, backing away a little bit as she placed the frame back in the drawer. She inhaled deeply, pulling something else from the drawer. Jack smiled at the small diary, floating above her as she began to write. He normally didn't eavesdrop but this girl most certainly had his attention.

_December 12th, 2014:_

_It was most certainly an interesting day today. At work I got a small raise, just $40 but something is better than nothing, right? The day went fairly well, I got lots of complements about my eyes again and how it's good to see a foreigner every now and then. I also got a complement from this younger guy who said I looked really good in a waitressing outfit and that I should come "hang out" with him...I think he thinks I'm ignorant enough to not understand that by "hang out" he means have sex. _

Jack chuckled as she drew a smiley face with it's tongue sticking out next to the last sentence, yawning tiredly as he continued reading:

_On my way home I had to go pick up some tests at the school I test at since I don't go to school but am still getting credits through self study. I got all A's so I guess that means I'm doing something right. Finally when I got home, Dad actually said "not bad kid" which is basically the equivalent of "good job". Even though he did throw a glass at me I feel like he's starting to not hate me as much anymore. Mom, Do you think that he will finally forgive me for not saving you? I hope so, If there was one thing I wished for right not it would be that Dad would say something like "I love you" or what he says to Jeff down the street "I'm proud of ya kid, you're doin a good job". Maybe we'll get along better and we can be a happy family again...anyway, gotta get to sleep so I can get up to cook for dad._ _Goodnight! _

_(p.s. Dad's drinking has gotten better, he hasn't gone into a drunken rage since last week)_

Jack looked around awkwardly as she got up and put the journal away, feeling like a total jerk for invading her personal space. He nearly fell over a she began to undress, quickly trying to look away. He stopped as something caught the corner of his eye, slowly turning back to face her. She had her bare back to him, revealing the bandages that wrapped her entire torso. Jack watched wide eyed as she began to peel them away, wincing in sympathy as she had to tear part of one off. Immediately he felt sick at what he saw: her whole back was covered in scars and fresh whiplashes, blood and puss oozing from her wounds. She quickly pulled them all off, setting a towel on the floor beneath her. Jack watched in horror as she jammed another towel in her mouth and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, nearly lunging forward to take it from her as she began pouring it down her back. He squeezed his eyes shut as she screamed through the gag, slowly opening them again to witness her self-inflicted tortures.

The wounds hissed and bubbled, cleaning themselves of any infection. She finally set the bottle down, shakily picking up yet another towel to dab her back dry. She then continued to re-bandage herself before redressing, stumbling to her feet. He moved out of her way needlessly as she shuffled to the small mattress laying on the floor, shaking his head angrily as she sank down into what little comfort it could offer. How could anyone do this to someone as seemingly sweet and honest as this girl? All she wanted was to be loved and accepted. The mere thought of someone laying a hand on her angered him and he found himself thinking: why was he getting so angry? Sure it wasn't right to abuse someone like this but he didn't even know her and she wasn't a believer...so why did this have such an affect on him? was it because Pitch was involved?

He shook his head again, floating down to the floor beside her. she curled up under a small, ragged blanket, closing her eyes before quickly drifting off to sleep. Jack laid beside her, staring mindlessly at her sleeping face. As she began to relax, Jack began to realize how cute she was. Once the stress and pain left her face she had smooth, golden skin that seemed to glow and her lashes were long and slightly curled. He turned the light off with his staff, turning to lay on his back. If he could somehow get her to believe in him, maybe they could be friends...and he could help her escape all the torments she suffered now. Jack smiled at the thought, closing his eyes as sleep overcame him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Lily shivered, opening her eyes tiredly. The first rays of dawn shone through her window, accenting the thin layer of frost decorating the sill. She sighed as she sat up, pulling the blanket around herself as her breath formed small white puffs in the air in front of her. She looked up at the clock, slowly rising. She had time still before her father would wake up but she wanted to have his breakfast made early so he wouldn't be angry. She took a tired step forward, yelping as her foot connected with something unseen on the floor, unable to stop herself as she fell forward.

* * *

Jack started as something connected with his stomach, instinctively scooting backwards. He gasped as Lily fell forward, quickly wrapping his arms around her to break her fall:  
"Watch out!" He hesitated reluctantly as he realized that his actions would do nothing for the non-believer, grunting in surprise as she collided into him: "Wah!" She gasped as they tumbled to the floor, unable to help:  
"Oww..." Jack froze as the girl stared down at him wide eyed, shocked:  
"what the...you can see me?" she continued staring in shock, then looked down. She was laying between his legs, their bodies pressed together. She scurried backwards, a whimper forming in her throat. Jack quickly lunged forward as she opened her mouth to scream, clamping a hand over her mouth and wrapping an arm around her: "Shh, shh, shh...It's okay, I'm sorry I startled you..." she struggled weakly as he pulled her into his arms to restrain her, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Jack maintained his grip as she struggled, speaking quietly at her: "Hey, relax. If you're dad comes up here he'll put you in an insane asylum for struggling with air..." She paused in her attempt to escape, looking up at him curiously:  
"Mrph?" He smiled, loosening his grip slightly:  
"If I let go of you will you scream?" She looked at the door briefly, shaking her head. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth, leaving his arm wrapped around her: "It may sound crazy but not very many people can see me. I'm Jack. Jack Frost. You could call me a spirit of sorts..." She tilted her head slightly, her voice quiet and shaky:  
"A-A...spirit?" He nodded, slowly releasing her:  
"Yea. A winter spirit. I bring the snow..." She scooted away a few inches, looking him up and down uncertainly:  
"Wh-Why are you in my room?" He laughed, running a hand through his hair awkwardly:  
"Well...It's a long story...I heard some glass break last night and so I came to investigate and came in through the window...Then you closed it and I didn't want to freak you out by opening a window you had just closed since you couldn't see me so I just stayed here..." She gasped, jumping up as she glanced at the clock:  
"Oh no! I'm late!" Jack blinked as she raced for the door, slowly getting up:  
"Late for what?" She yelled over her shoulder, almost falling over the rug in front of her door:  
"Dad's breakfast!" He sighed as she left, blinking as she stuck her head back in the door: "W-will you wait here for me? Please?" Jack smiled, nodding:

"sure." Lily smiled faintly, running down the hallway.

* * *

Lily quickly plated the food she had prepared, setting them down in front of her father as he slunk into the kitchen and sat down:  
"Coffee." she set a steaming mug down at the head of his plate, backing away:  
"Is that alright dad?" He ignored her as he began eating, opening the paper she had brought in for him:  
"What was all the racket this morning, did you fall off your 2 inch mattress again, dipshit?" She nodded, avoiding his glare by staring at the floor:  
"Yes...I'm sorry..." She felt her stomach drop down into her legs as he held out his hand, slowly walking forward:  
"You woke me up, now you'll have to be punished."

She squeaked as he gripped her wrist, resisting the urge to pull away. It would only make matters worse. She swallowed hard as he picked up the steaming mug, breaking out in a cold sweat: "Is this fresh?"

"Y-yes...I just poured it..." she cried out as he began to slowly pour the burning hot liquid over her hand, sinking to her knees as he began pouring it up her forearm:  
"Yep, looks nice and fresh when it's burning your arm. Now get out of my sight. I have a big day with the boys and I don't want to see your pathetic face until tonight." She sniveled in response, unable to form solid words as her vision swam with the pain. She stumbled to her feet, swaying unsteadily as she made her way towards the stairs.

* * *

Jack flopped onto Lily's bed, sighing impatiently:  
"Geez, what's taking so long..." He turned his head towards the door as the handle turned, smiling:  
"took ya long enou-" he slowly sat up as she stumbled in, flying to her side as she fell to her knees: "Lily? Lily what's wrong..." He reached out to steady her, jerking his hand back as she squeaked. Her left arm was covered in severe burns, blood oozing from multiple blisters already beginning to form on her soft skin: "Oh my god, what happened? Did your father do this to you?"

She mumbled almost inaudibly, crawling towards her dresser. Jack quickly followed her, pulling her long dark hair away from the wound: "Lily, talk to me-"

"D-drawer...cooling...aloe..." She collapsed onto her side, her eyes squeezed closed in pain. Jack had never had a burn in his life so he felt unsure of what to do until she said that:  
"Cooling? Okay, okay, hold on..." He gently scooped her up, floating over to the bed. She shook her head, pointing weakly at the drawer. He sat down on the mattress, quickly wrapping her in the blanket: "I know, but this will help more..." He carefully pulled her arm free from the blanket, lowering his head to it. She flinched as he blew on the wound, slowly relaxing as cool air soothed the intense burning. He kept his eyes on her face as he continued blowing on her arm, careful not to freeze it too much. After a few moments she opened her eyes, looking up into his:  
"H-how...are you doing this?" he winked, setting her down on the bed beside him as he got up to get the aloe:  
"Winter spirit, remember?" She exhaled slowly, closing her eyes again:  
"Right..." He retrieved a small tube, carefully picking her up again:  
"Do I just rub this on?" She nodded, letting her head flop back against his shoulder. He squirted a small amount on her arm, stopping as she winced: "Does it hurt?"

"N-no...it just startled me is all..." He relaxed slightly as he began rubbing the goo in, watching her reaction. It wasn't as drastic as when he had cooled it for her, but it seemed to help. After a few minutes he had covered the entire wound and Lily lay limp in his arms, her eyes still closed:  
"Lily? Are you alright?" She smiled faintly, remaining limp:  
"He heard us...when we fell.. it woke him up..." Jack blinked, anger welling up in him again:  
"What? He did this to you because you woke him up? Who the hell does stuff like this to their family-" He stopped talking as she began to cry, all heat dying down to a dull glow compared to the shared pain he felt with her. What kind of family indeed? Her mother was dead and her father was abusing her...what else was this poor girl enduring? In some ways Jack would never know since he had never really had a family, but even then he could sympathize with the pain of feeling alone, even when there were others sitting right next to you. He reached up, gently wiping a small tear from her cheek:  
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said anything..." She shivered at his cold, caring touch, sloppily wiping at her eyes:  
"It's f-fine..."  
"No, it isn't fine, you shouldn't have to put up with this." She sniffed, laughing almost hysterically:  
"It's okay, It'll only be a few more months before I have to go find somewhere else to live..."  
"Why?" She slowly twirled a lock of her long dark hair around her finger as her tears began to dry, her voice quiet and afraid:  
"I turn eighteen soon...the only reason I'm still probably here is because Dad can't give me up yet...he gets a check every month from the state for child care...and he doesn't have a job because he's always drinking, so...when I turn eighteen I'll really be useless to him...and he won't need me anymore...so...I'll have to leave..." Jack sighed, patting her head reassuringly:  
"don't worry...things will work out for you..." Lily shrugged in response, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Even though he was cold she still felt warm and comfortable sitting with him like this, her body relaxed and calm despite his lack of acquaintance. Lily closed her eyes, drifting off as he gently rocked her back and forth: "you'll be okay..."

* * *

Lily slowly opened her eyes, sitting up. She gasped as she remembered what had happened earlier, looking around wildly:  
"Jack?" she looked down sadly as silence greeted her, pausing as there was a crinkling from her pocket. She put her hand in the fold, taking out a small slip of paper:

_Sorry to leave you alone like this, but I have some business to take care of. You know, snow stuff. Don't be afraid and try to stay away from your dad, I'll be back in a few days. Be safe._

_Jack Frost_

_(p.s. you're really cute when you're asleep)_

Lily blushed at the last comment, tucking the note back into her pocket. She looked up at the clock above her door, heaving a small sigh. It was 4:30. Time to start dinner.

* * *

Jack carefully laid Lily down on her bed as she fell into a much needed sleep, writing a small note and sticking it in her pocket before tucking the blanket around her to keep her warm. He turned reluctantly to the window, opening it as quietly as he could. He really didn't want to leave her in this state but he had no choice, his job still needed doing and he wanted to ask the other Guardians a few questions. He caste her one more look before flying off, headed north.

* * *

Lily managed to get through cooking and the dishes without showing her dad how much pain she was in, but once she got back to her room she collapsed, her breathing rough and ragged. Her arm throbbed constantly with her heart and felt like it was on fire. She grabbed the aloe gel, rubbing it into her burn. It helped dull the pain but wasn't nearly as helpful or soothing as Jack's breath had been on her damaged skin. She sank down into the chair at her small desk, pulling out her journal. She silently thanked God that it had been her left arm and not her right, picking up a pen:

_December 13th, 2014:_

_The least I can say is that a lot has happened since last night. This morning I met a strange young man in my room who wasn't there one minute and then I somehow managed to kick him and he was. His name is Jack Frost and he says he's a "winter spirit of sorts". It startled me when I saw him there, I've never really been that close to a guy before...most guys hear Dad's name and immediately leave...Jack seemed genially concerned about my arm and stuff after Dad poured hot coffee over it as a punishment for waking him up too early...My arm hurts so much I keep wondering if it would be better to just amputate it...But I guess that's just foolish talk. Jack was really nice and kind to me, he even helped me treat the injury. But what is he doing here? Why did he come into my room? I'm not really sure about him but I feel I can trust him. Any suggestions Mom? _

Lily closed the journal, tucking it back into the drawer before going through her usual ritual to clean and disinfect her wounds, this time adding her arm to the mix. She nearly fainted as the wound hissed and steamed, the pain great enough to almost make her lose her dinner. She cleaned up and rebandaged herself, crawling into her bed and setting her clock for 6 so she could get up to fix her dad's breakfast. She smiled slightly as she glanced at Jack's note again, keeping it held tenderly in her hand as she drifted back into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack nodded in approval as he finished creating a snowstorm that would sweep over London and leave a light blanket of snow, looking down at the phone North and Sandy had given him as it buzzed:  
"Hello?"  
"Jack? Oh good, you are available!" Jack rolled his eyes as North's loud voice boomed through the special line, landing lightly in the top of a tree:  
"What would you do if I wasn't?" there was a pause, then a burst of laughter:  
"Hahaha, you funny Jack! Anyway, we need you to come back to Pole, something has come up..." Jack frowned as the jolly man's tone changed, straightening:  
"What is it?" He blinked as there was a sigh, straining to hear as there was a faint jingling on the other end. He groaned loudly, exasperated: "Did you just put Sandy on the phone? Sandy...Sandy, hand the phone back to North, you can't even talk." he smiled slightly as there was the whoosh of air on the other end, assuming that the small golden man had just huffed at him, one of the few noises he could make:  
"'Ello snowflake, causin' any trouble over thea?" Jack rubbed his temples irritably as Bunny spoke, feeling a headache start to form:  
"Look Bunny, just hand the phone to North-"  
"Yea yea, in a minute. I heard you was with a girl last night-" Jack blinked in surprise, interrupting him immediately:

"Wait, what? Where'd you hear that?" He glared at the phone as Bunny chuckled, nearly screaming in frustration. Every time he went out to do something Bunny somehow got wind of it and found some way to tease him about it. Jack took a deep breath, exhaling slowly: "Bunny, who told you that?"

Even as the Guardian of Fun, sometimes his job could be reeeeeeeeaaaaaalllllyyyy stressful.

He nodded as there was a faint squeaking on the other end, smiling slightly: "Hello Baby Tooth, were you secretly following me last night?" They had worked out a system for when they were on the phone since Baby Tooth couldn't communicate very well. She squeaked twice, confirming his question: "Did you tell Bunny I was with a girl?" She confirmed his question again before making her "lovey dovey" squeaks to indicate she thought something had happened. Jack chuckled, raising his hands defensively even though no one was around to see: "Oh no, you misunderstood what happened. Actually, there's nothing to misunderstand because nothing happened. I was just helping her out with some stuff..." Jack paused as his thoughts drifted back to Lily, immediately visualizing her burnt and damaged arm: "Baby Tooth, do me a favor okay? Put North back on the phone..." He smiled as she made dejected, depressed squeaks: "Don't worry, I'm coming over in a bit so we'll see each other."

Ever since their battle with Pitch he and Baby Tooth had been really close, often traveling together as he spread snow and she collected teeth. She was also a great listener. He jumped up as a gust of wind came, riding the East wind to the Pole:  
"Jack? oh good, you still there. anyway, just come back to pole, urgent business to attend to." Jack smiled, twirling as he flew through the air:  
"Already on my way."

* * *

Jack landed silently on the edge of the porch, creeping forward towards a pair of large ears. He raised his staff, smiling mischievously as he lightly touched the tip of one of the appendages. There was a loud yelp as Bunny jumped up, followed by a stream of laughter as everyone watched his ears freeze over:  
"Dang it SnowFlake! That's cold!"

"Ha ha, good to see you too Bunny." Jack easily jumped away as the over-sized rabbit swiped at him, landing effortlessly on the top of a chair: "Gotta be faster than that you fuzzy Kangaroo you." Bunny growled, taking a menacing step towards him before stopping as a large hand landed on his shoulder:  
"Now boys, behave. Business comes first, then play!" Jack floated over Bunny as North motioned for them to follow him to his secret study, smiling the whole way. He laughed as a small ball of blue green and teal hurtled towards him, landing outside the study:  
"Hello Baby Tooth, how are you?" she squeaked in delight, cuddling his nose before landing on his shoulder:  
"Tooth! Tooth, Jack is here! Come so we can start meeting!" A larger version of Baby Tooth zoomed towards them, landing in a chair at the large oak table situated in the center of the room:  
"Oh good! I was beginning to get worried."

"Is she ever not worried?" Jack chuckled as he sat down, looking around questioningly:  
"Where's Sandy?" a golden arrow appeared from under the table as the little man crawled out, rubbing his eyes tiredly: "hey sandy, sorry about the phone thing, I just haven't had time to work out a system with you like I have with Baby Tooth." He shrugged, climbing up into one of the large plush chairs:  
"Now we can start. Very bad things have been happening Jack, very bad." Jack immediately felt a chill run up his spine, his voice quiet:  
"Is it Pitch?" an ominous hush fell over the room after he spoke the man's name. Bunny quickly got up, knocking over his chair in the process. He looked ill:  
"No...No no no, we saw Pitch get mauled by those Night Mares, there's no way he could have survived." Tooth nodded, stroking her feathers nervously:  
"Bunny's right, we saw him get swallowed back down into that hole...he can't still be alive..." she looked over at North and Sandy uncertainly: "can he?" Sandy nodded, looking around. He no longer had as intense of a glow as before but instead looked worn out and tired, and not in a good way. North gently patted his shoulder, staring out the window with cold, hard eyes, something unusual for the Guardian of Wonder:  
"Is true. We did see Pitch get pulled into hole...But he survived...and now he's plotting revenge..." He turned to face them, his gaze falling on the newest member of their team: "on Jack."

Jack nodded, his voice low:  
"I figured as much..." North sat down, laying a small oblong box on the table. Inside lay a white feather: "this feather belonged to one of the four angels that roam the earth..." he picked it up, examining it lovingly: "The four angels that roam the earth are spirits that bring balance to the four elements: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter...Without these Angels, the Season's would go into a war over when they were allowed to rule...Whenever there is a hurricane, earthquake, or even sometimes an avalanche or mudslide it is because the Season's are fighting. When this happens it is up to the Angels to calm the Season they are associated with...It is the Angels who bring peace to the world." He lightly passed the feather around, leaning back in his chair: "This feather belonged to most recent Winter Angel...who was killed last night." Jack blinked, confused:  
"Angels can be killed? I thought they were among the highest of the immortals..." North smiled grimly:  
"Yes Jack, they are. But just like how Sandy here was killed, they too can perish...and our little Angel died in much the same way that Sandy did...she was consumed by fear." Sandy shook his head sadly, passing the feather to Tooth who cradled it as if it were a new born child:  
"Then let's bring her back! We did it for Sandy!"

"It doesn't work that way mate." Jack stopped as Bunny spoke, looking over at him skeptically:  
"Why?" Bunny handed him the feather, pointing to the middle: it had turned an off-shade of white:  
"Ya see that? That's Pitch's darkness...It buried its way into her core...into her sole, mate...Unlike the Sandman here, she let it consume her...she gave up. It destroyed every and any bit of her it could find until all that was left was Pitch's black sand...and this one feather." Jack stared sadly at the feather, his voice barely audible:  
"I don't suppose it could take only one feather to bring her back..." North shook his head, placing the feather back in it's box:  
"No Jack...This time, one won't do." They sat in silence for a moment as the weight of the Angel's death sank in, the air heavy and thick with uncertainty and...fear. Tooth looked up at them, searching:  
"What do we do? Without a Winter Angel..." Jack blinked as everyone turned to face him, even more confused than before:  
"What does this have to do with me?" Jack froze as Bunny laid a hand on his shoulder, stricken by the look of absolute despair in his eyes:  
"Without a Winter Angel to help keep the peace mate...Winter won't be able to survive without an advocate...it will disappear, and..." Jack felt an overpowering sense of dread creep up on him as Bunny spoke, becoming even more unnerved as his eyes began misting with the suddent threat of tears: "so will you."

* * *

Jack felt his heart leap up in his throat:  
"D-Disappear? What, like when no one believed in me and couldn't see me?" Sandy shook his head, forming three words above his head in golden sand:

_You will die._

He choked back a scream at the words, looking around frantically:  
"What? Why would I die? I mean...I'm not even really involved with this stuff-" Tooth fluttered closer to him, taking his hand:  
"Jack, you...you're inadvertently connected with winter...you're a winter spirit, a being who exists in cold alone. Even if you can go to warmer places and survive, you would feel great pain if you went too long without snow...Eventually you'd just die...So if Winter never came back, if there was never any snow ever again..." Jack felt a small tear trickle down the side of his face, wiping it away as he glanced up at the moon:  
"This is what I get? After so long? You leave me alone for 300 years, then give me a-a family that I can trust and rely on...and now you're going to take it from me? Why?" Tooth covered her mouth as she let out a small sob, bringing Jack's hand to her face:  
"I-I'm so sorry Jack..." North nodded, pulling a manila envelope out of his jacket:  
"Me too...That's why we are going to do everything to help you." Jack whipped his head around, glaring at him:  
"What do you mean 'help me'? You can't stop death!"

"No, but we can stop the end of Winter..." Bunny jumped up as North emptied the contents of the folder, excitement oozing from every ounce of his being:  
"Are these the pictures Manny sent?" North nodded, handing one to Sandy:  
"Yes. These are the next candidates for the Winter Angel." Jack blinked, dumbfounded:  
"What?" He looked at Tooth who shrugged, then back to Bunny and North: "What do you mean 'candidates'?" Bunny laid out the pictures, hope glittering in his eyes:  
"When an Angel dies, gives up her spot, or is killed, the Guardians of the Children get to decide who the next one will be...with Manny's approval, of course."

"Yes, so we must go and investigate these children and protect them from Pitch! Aha! Five exactly!" Jack slowly rose from his chair as North picked one up, examining each picture:  
"So if we can find a suitable candidate and get them approved Winter won't end?" Tooth clapped her hands, smiling brilliantly:  
"Yes! And neither will you!" He laughed, relieved:  
"Th-That's great! What are we waiting-" he faltered as he picked up the last picture, his throat constricting:

"Lily..."

Jack stared down at her picture, unable to draw in enough air. She was laying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, a man he could only assume was her father standing over her triumphantly. She bled profusely from several spots in her head, pieces of a broken bottle clearly visible. Jack looked up at the other Guardians in shock as they looked at him curiously, his throat suddenly dry: "I-Is this...recent?" North shook his head, still confused:  
"No, this was taken...What?" he paused, looking up at the moon: "A year ago? oh ok, Manny says a year ago. All of these pictures are girls or boys who possess many good qualities and have suffered greatly in this life...Manny said that's important for an Angel to understand the pain of life." Jack let his breath out as he realized he been holding it, rubbing his head self-consciously:  
"I...um...I was with this girl...yesterday...she didn't even know who I was and I didn't even do anything to help her believe in me but she can see me..." He let the picture fall from his fingers back onto the table, clenching his shaking hands: "Does she have to die to become an Angel? Like us?"

North looked up at the moon again, shaking his head:  
"Manny says no, she only has to accept the role after she is given a choice." Bunny paused from examining the gruesome pictures of the wounded kids, tilting his head slightly:  
"Wait...what choice?"

"Live on earth as a human with a normal human life and die, or live eternally and witness the pains of the centuries but use all of your strength to end the suffering." Sandy scoffed, folding his arms cockily as he formed a few more words: _Is that even a choice?_

North shrugged:  
"Maybe, maybe not. We will see. Anyhow, Jack. Do you want to take on guarding this girl since you already know each other?" he nodded, getting up:  
"Yes. Yes I do." Jack glanced up at the moon as it seemed to glitter in the night sky, nodding in response: "I'll protect her with every ounce of my being."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lily walked tiredly up the street towards her house, unaware of the eyes watching her from the darkness. She jumped as something ran into her, stunned as she was knocked to the ground:

"Quick! Gag her and let's go!" Lily screamed as two men grappled with her, struggling desperately as they dragged her towards an alley: "Shut up already!" she cried out as she was slammed up against the wall, trembling fearfully as the familiar stench of alcohol wafted over her. The two men had her cornered, both swaying drunkenly as they looked down at her:  
"So sweetie...how ya been? Been havin any fun lately?"

* * *

Jack landed lightly on the sill of Lily's window, peering inside. Empty. He rubbed his head awkwardly, freezing as a scream ripped through the night. He quickly shot up into the air, looking around: three dark figures were grappling down the street close to Downtown.

_"Quick! Grab her and let's go!"_ He sped toward them, anger fueling his advance.

* * *

Lily jerked her head away as one man cupped her chin in his hand, glancing past them towards the mouth of the alley:  
"No no no...don't even think about it..." she gasped as he grabbed a fistful of her hair, whimpering fearfully as he pulled her closer: "We haven't had any fun yet so don't be so hasty..." she stared wide-eyed as he unzipped his pants, falling to her knee's as her body gave out:  
"P-Please...No..."

"Don't worry pumpkin, we won't tell Daddy-Ugh!" she blinked as the man as thrown back a good twenty feet, watching in disbelief as something similar happened to the second man. A familiar figure landed silently before her, smiling down at her with soft blue eyes:  
"Are you okay Lily?" she nodded, tears streaming down her face as she took Jack's outstretched hand:  
"Yea..." He carefully helped her to her feet, putting a protective arm around her as one of the men managed to stumble to his feet:  
"God, I thought I hit him hard enough...Oh well, we'll just go." Lily flinched as he tightened his grip on her, looking up at him uncertainly. Jack smiled, wrapping his other arm around her: "Do you trust me?" She swallowed hard, nodding. He winked, picking her up: "Then don't be afraid."

Lily squeaked as she was lifted into the air, wrapping her arms around Jack's cold neck. He laughed, walking forward as if on solid ground:  
"Don't worry, I won't drop you!" She buried her head in his sweater, whimpering softly:  
"I-I'm scared..." he chuckled softly, landing outside her house:  
"Don't be. You're safe now. See?" she sneaked a peek over his shoulder, heaving a small sigh as the ground appeared at a normal distance. She wobbled dangerously as he put her feet down, blushing as he caught her: "Careful..." she sniffled as he steadied her, looking back at the house as she regained her footing. It was silent:  
"Dad must not be home..." Jack nodded, walking with up to the door with her. They didn't have much time.

"Do you have time to...talk? It's kinda important..." She nodded, opening the door to let them in:  
"I think so. Dad's probably out drinking and it's only 9:30. He shouldn't be back until 2ish." She involuntarily quivered as the thought of what would happen once he returned crossed her mind, already mentally preparing herself for the drunken beating that was yet to come.

Jack noticed Lily quiver after she spoke, laying his hand gently on her shoulder as she looked away:  
"Don't worry. You won't have to put up with this much longer. I'm taking you away. Tonight." she shook her head, bewildered:

"What? What do you mean taking me away...I can't just leave..." Jack waved his hand in dismissal, patting the seat next to him as he sat on the couch:  
"You really don't deserve the kind of treatment you're getting here, it's cruel and unfair. Besides, I'm not just taking you because I want to elope with you. You're in serious danger and you're a potential Angel." Lily blinked, confused:  
"What? I'm not an angel..." Jack sighed, settling back into the cushions as he prepared himself to relay the whole story:  
"Okay, I know it's confusing, but here's how it is..." Lily's eyes got progressively larger as Jack continued talking, her heart beating erratically as he finished. An Angel? How could she possibly be a candidate?

Jack jumped as his phone buzzed, looking at her apologetically:  
"Sorry, it's the others." she nodded dumbly as he got up and headed into the other room, the implications of his words still weighing on her. If she didn't accept he could disappear? Some maniac named Pitch Black was out to get her? She could become a Guardian of the Earth?

None of it made any sense and she was so confused and baffled that the number of thoughts running through her head were uncountable. She took a deep breath, looking around sadly. The walls were a sickly yellow, no pictures or décor on them to speak of. The whole house reeked like her father's stale, alcohol stained breath and the carpets contained numerous stains of the substance along with a couple that were clearly not. She felt hot tears streak down her face as memories of each and every stain flashed before her: they were all blood stains. Her blood. She could remember every time her father had beaten her senseless, every time he had lashed out at her for seemingly no reason. And she had taken it as if she'd done something wrong.

Lily shook her head. The only wrong thing about it was that she'd come to accept the abuse as normal. She laughed softly under her breath as she came to a firm understanding: there was nothing here for her. Her father was never going to forgive her for letting her mother die and he was never going to accept her as anything other than a nuisance and a means of making money, no matter what she did. She wiped at her face with trembling hands, getting up.

* * *

Jack felt like an utter jerk for dumping all of that information on Lily so suddenly but there was no other way. She had to understand. He got up as his phone buzzed, noting the look of utter shock on her face as he left. Maybe she would get it. He went to the kitchen, answering the phone:  
"North?" He grimaced as there was a loud boom on the other end, his ear aching: "North? What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing, just Bunny being silly. How's it going with the lady?" Jack shuffled his feet awkwardly, shrugging:  
"I told her everything but...I'm not sure..." there was a grunt from the other end:  
"Just throw her in bag and come home, explain it more once she is safe." Jack snorted, shaking his head:  
"No North. That's your and Bunny's thing. I prefer to not put people in bags against their will and toss them through magic portals." There was a loud burst of laughter on the other end that Jack assumed to be Bunny, preparing himself for the stupid jokes:  
"Haha, you should have seen your face SnowFlake! Priceless!"

"Yea yea, keep talking you over-grown rabbit-" he paused as two small arms wrapped around him from behind, dreading the possibility of having to resort to drastic measures: "Gotta go. I'll call you back later." he hung up, turning around. Lily hung her head numbly, her arms falling away to dangling lifelessly by her side:  
"...I'll go with you...Is that still okay?" He nodded, looking down at her softly:  
"Of course. What changed your mind?" she hugged herself sadly, lightly tracing the outline of the remnants of the burn on her arm:  
"There's nothing for me here anymore...there never was...and I'm not wanted here at all..."

Jack felt his heart break as she began to cry, wrapping his arms around her in a gentle embrace:  
"It's okay...Where we're going, you won't have to feel this way anymore...And I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise you that." she nodded, unable to contain the small sobs that racked her body. He held her that way for a few minutes, gently stroking her hair as she began to settle.

Lily sniffled as the tears began to dry, the last feelings of hesitation she had dying away with them. Jack ruffled her hair playfully as he took her hand, leading her up to her room:  
"Alright, let's get you ready to go. Do you have a small duffle or suit case?" Jack felt a shiver run down his spine as they neared her room:

"Yea, I think so-" He froze as they opened the door, staring wide-eyed at the man before them:  
"Pitch."

* * *

"Hello Jack. Miss me?" Lily looked between the two as they stared each other down, stepping back fearfully as Pitch's gaze fell on her: "Oh hello there, you must be one of the candidates...or should I call you 'Lily?'" Jack silently pushed her behind himself, glaring at Pitch:  
"Leave her out of this Pitch. This is between you and me, it's not fair to bring someone like Lily into this-" Pitch laughed, a grating, ugly sound:  
"Right you are Jack. But here's the thing..." Jack cried out as black sand wrapped around his ankles, struggling vainly as the sand crept closer to Lily: "I don't play fair." She squeaked as Pitch appeared before her, desperately trying to pull away as he grabbed her injured wrist: "Now now little one, it'll only hurt more if you struggle..." he feigned thinking for a moment, smiling nastily at her as his hand closed around her throat: "But now that I think about it, that would amuse me greatly." She gasped for breath as he slowly began squeezing her windpipe, trying to pry his hands off. Jack growled, freezing the sand around his feet:

"Don't touch her!" He burst forward out of the trap, ramming head-on into Pitch. Lily cried out as she tumbled the floor, falling unconscious as she hit her head against the door.

* * *

Jack bowled into Pitch full force as the sand around his feet shattered into a million little frozen pieces, lashing out at the larger man. Pitch snarled back, retaliating with a hard left hook to Jack's jaw. He fell onto his back, catching Pitch's fist as it hurtled down at his face as he fell on top of him. He continued to struggle with Pitch for a moment, trying to keep him from bashing his head into the floor and at the same time trying to land a hit of his own. Jack blinked as Pitch managed to get a hand on his forehead, immediately feeling his energy begin to fade. Pitch smirked knowingly, pulling Jack to his feet before grabbing his arm and ramming it against the corner of the wall. Jack screamed as the bone was broken, falling to his knees before being roughly shoved onto his stomach. He fought to regain his breath as Pitch bore down on him with his full weight, blood dripping from a large gash on his forehead into his eye as he looked up at Lily.

* * *

"Ugh..." She could see indistinct figures grappling in the hallway, groaning softly as she struggled to sit up. She snapped to full consciousness as there was a pain-filled scream, scrambling to her feet. Jack was pinned to the floor beneath Pitch, his arm wrenched behind his back and badly broken:  
"Had enough yet Frost?" Jack grunted in pain as Pitch squeezed his broken arm, looking up at Lily weakly:  
"L-Lily...run..." She opened her mouth to protest, suddenly remembering where she'd hidden a weapon that could be useful in this type of situation. She glanced at the wicker basket beside her, slowly opening the drawer. Pitch sneered at her, raking his long nails over Jack's cheek:  
"What little girl? You should do as Frosty here says-Augh!" Pitch was thrown back away from Jack as Lily pulled the trigger on a small revolver, glaring at her as he gripped his shoulder where he'd been hit: "You dare oppose me you pathetic little bitch? I'll kill you!" Lily froze as Pitch lunged towards her, the gun clattering noisily from her hands:  
"Lily, move!"

Jack quickly got up, kicking Pitch square in the chest. Pitch was again thrown backwards, this time down the stairs:  
"Come on Lily, hurry!" Jack grabbed her hand, stumbling forward as he pulled a small glass marble from his pocket: "North's house!" Lily stumbled in disbelief as the marble expanded into a large doorway, following Jack through it.

She cried out as they tumbled to the floor, quickly crawling to Jack's side as they skidded to a halt:  
"Jack!" He winced as he tried to sit up, falling back weakly:  
"Are you alright? Pitch didn't hurt you did he?" she shook her head, more tears falling from her almond-eyes:  
"I-I'm so sorry...this is all because of me-" Jack weakly gripped her hand, silencing her:  
"This isn't your fault, don't ever think that. I told you I would protect you." he gasped as his whole body seemed to burst into pain, seizing wildly on the floor. Lily looked around in panic, jumping to her feet:  
"Help! Please, somebody help!" She ran forward as a shadow passed by the cracked door of the room they were in, throwing open the doors: "Please help us!"

Jack smiled faintly as a figure raced to his side:  
"Hey Bunny..." The large rabbit knelt beside him, looking him up and down in horror:

"Jack! What the hell happened Mate?" Lily carefully wiped blood from Jack's face as more threatened to leak into his eyes, stuttering through her tears:  
"P-P-Pitch came a-and he d-did this to J-Jack...Please...Help him..." Jack blinked tiredly as his vision began to darken, unable to muster any strength. Bunny noticed, giving him a small shake:  
"No no mate, come on, stay with us." Jack smiled, muttering inaudibly as he fell limp:  
"Sorry..."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack slowly opened his eyes, groaning as his whole body reacted in disapproval:

"Oww..." He tried to sit up, pausing as a large paw held him back:  
"Don't even try mate, you'll only tire yourself out." He snorted as Bunny carefully pushed him back down, nodding in approval as he handed him a controller: "Besides. Why try when the bed'll do it for ya?" Jack chuckled as he pushed a button, grimacing in pain as the bed moved itself into a sitting position:  
"God, everything hurts..." Sandy rolled his eyes, forming a few words above his head as he floated into the room:  
_Well you did get your butt kicked by Pitch._

Jack wrinkled his nose, giving a small shrug:  
"I was at a disadvantage in such close quarters. And he had this new power too. At one point he had his hand on my head and I could feel all of my energy being sucked out of my body. But you're right, if Lily hadn't been there-" he gasped, looking around wildly: "Where's Lily?" North laughed as he joined the small party in the infirmary, pointing to a small lump of blankets immediately to his right:

"She hasn't left your side since you got here. Hasn't even gotten up for a bathroom break." Jack grunted in effort as he stretched his good arm out, slowly pulling one of the blankets away. Lily was curled up in a fetal position on the chair, sound asleep. Jack smiled softly as she stirred, gently stroking her cheek as she rubbed her eyes tiredly:  
"Hey..." Lily gasped, struggling to get up:  
"Bunny! You said you'd wake me up-"

"It's okay Lily, I just woke up..." She relaxed slightly, sinking down the edge of his bed. Jack blinked as small tears began falling down her cheeks, taking her hand: "Lily? What's wrong?" she sniffled, wiping at her eyes:  
"I...I thought you were going to die..." Bunny shook his head indignantly:  
"I already told you he'd be fine, you're still freakin out about the surgery thing..." Jack looked up sharply, surprised:  
"What? I had to have surgery?" North nodded, rubbing his head sheepishly:

"Weeeellllll...Yes, for your arm...but...well...Tooth accidentally bumped Bunny's arm as he was resetting your bones and somehow or another he managed to hit an artery...you bled a lot, but don't worry! We fix!...After you flat-lined and we had to use AED on you." Jack gawked, completely baffled by what had just been said:  
"I-I...What? How much blood did I lose?" He looked up at Bunny, hurt: "You killed me?" Bunny glared at him, crossing his arms angrily:  
"Tooth bumped my arm as I was resetting a fractured bone! Besides, you're fine now, aren't you? Quit complaining so much..."

Jack shook his head, pulling Lily into his arms:  
"God, no wonder she looked traumatized...Where is Tooth?" Lily relaxed against him as the weight of his cool arms settled around her, suddenly exhausted:

"Making cookies..." North chuckled again as she let her head thump lightly against Jack's chest, covering her with a blanket:  
"You should thank the little one here...she helped save you." Jack looked down at her, smiling:  
"You did?" she nodded, fingering the bandage around her arm:  
"Yea...Sandy said that you needed blood to help recover so I let him take some of mine..." Jack glared down at the small man who raised his hands defensively, examining her arm worriedly:  
"How much did you give? Are you feeling okay?" she nodded, yawning:  
"I'm fine just a little...sleepy..." He relaxed slightly as she dozed off, wincing as Sandy lowered the bed back to it's original position:  
"Careful, injured Guardian here." The golden man shrugged, floating off with Bunny as he left the room. North winked, turning to follow them:  
"Get some more rest Jack, you did well today."

Jack sighed, looking down at the small figure curled up beside him. He really didn't know anything about her and yet...she seemed so close and familiar to him. He absent-mindedly stroked her hair, feeling his eye lids grow heavy. He let sleep overcome him, keeping the warm little being tucked close to him.

* * *

Back at the house

Brett Tanners stomped drunkenly up the stairs to his house, kicking the door open angrily. The little shit hadn't left the light on. He slapped at the wall, searching for the light:  
"Goddammit..." He cringed as the lights only added to his pounding hangover, looking around in confusion. The house was unusually quiet...and the smell...

He stumbled toward the stairs that lead up to his daughters room, crying out as he slipped on something and crashed to the floor:  
"What the fuck-" he blinked as he looked at the floor, smelling the substance that had stained his fingers: "Blood..." He felt his body go numb as his gaze followed the trail that lead up the stairs, slowly getting to his feet: "Lily? Lily are you up there?" He swallowed hard as he climbed the stairs, freezing as he reached the top. More blood was smeared along the walls and floor, large droplets leading into his daughters room. He slowly walked forward, his heart pounding. Was she dead?

Brett pushed the already cracked door open, freezing. A tall man sat on the floor, tending to a large wound on his shoulder.

* * *

Pitch growled angrily as he climbed to his feet, feeling rather then seeing the portal Jack had opened close. He strode up the stairs, looking around angrily. The gun the girl had shot him with lay in the middle of the hall so he picked it up, shoving it in his belt for later. He'd get the girl for this...

He looked around the room, tearing open drawers in search of a medical kit. He finally found one, sitting down grumpily to tend to his wounds. He smiled in faint satisfaction as he noticed the blood smeared on the walls and large droplets on the floor. It wasn't his:  
"Jack must be hurting pretty bad by now." He stripped off his shirt, examining the wound: luckily for him the bullet had gone clear through and was probably lodged in the hall somewhere. He began cleaning it, flinching as the wound throbbed:  
"Damn..." He paused as he heard the door creak open, looking up. A man stood in the doorway, looking down at him wide-eyed:  
"Who the fuck are you?" The man's demeanor changed as he saw Pitch, become more aggressive and angry: "What the hell did you do to my daughter?"

Pitch laughed as he finished bandaging his wound, getting up. This was going to work splendidly:

"Me? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm the one who tried to help your daughter." The man seemed startled, looking around the room:  
"Then where is she?" Pitch looked down, feigning sadness:  
"I...Couldn't help her. That man was just too strong...He shot me and dragged the poor thing off before I could do much..." The girl's father slowly sank to his knees, anger quickly consuming him. No one was going to take his property away without his permission:  
"Who the hell did it? Where can I find him?" Pitch smiled, conjuring a small amount of black sand. Jack's face slowly materialized:

"Jack Frost...He's the one who kidnapped your daughter...and she's probably dead by now...she was bleeding so much..." The man's face turned a ghastly pale as he sank to his knees, his voice cracking:  
"She's...dead?" He tore at his hair, his face a mix of disbelief and outright hysteria: "I didn't even...Goddamnit!" Pitch smiled as the man fell into a state of depression, basking in it's depths:  
"Well..." he laid a hand on his shoulder, kneeling beside him: "You could avenge your daughters death...just agree to join me and I will guarantee your revenge on Jack Frost." Pitch held out his hand, his friendly smile betraying his true intent. If this man shook his hand and sealed the deal he could use the man to destroy not only Jack Frost but also his own daughter. It was perfect.

Brett Tanners stared at the strange man's outstretched hand, his gaze hardening:  
"I can kill him?" Pitch laughed at the malicious intent in those words, nodding:  
"Of course. You can do anything you want with him." Brett smirked, shaking his hand:  
"Count me in."

* * *

**Sorry! Bit of a short chapter! please review and submit your input, hearing the pros and cons of your writing is always something that benefits me as a writer! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

Lily watched nervously from her chair as Bunny and North helped Jack stand up, the cookie she'd eaten earlier suddenly threatening to come back up.

Jack had sustained several nasty injuries in his fight with Pitch, most of them still obviously hurting him despite Tooth's healing magic and North's painkillers. His arm was in a sling, still purple and swollen from the break and surgery. He'd had to have stitches on the gash on his forehead and the long scratches Pitch had made on his cheek were an angry red, beneath that a sickly yellow hinting at a once rather large, painful bruise. He had numerous other injuries including a cracked rib and bruises everywhere but those were the least of their concerns.

Lily stepped forward unconsciously as he wobbled, pausing as Tooth put a hand on her shoulder:  
"It's okay. Bunny and Jack don't always get along but he won't do anything sly when Jack's hurt." She chewed her lip uncertainly, watching Jack fearfully:  
"It's not Bunny or North I'm worried about..." Tooth blinked, looking over at the three questioningly. Jack was still being mostly supported by Bunny and North but was also trying to shoo them away:  
"Come on guys, I'm fine-"

"No, you're swaying like a drunk. Now sit down before you cripple yourself some more." Bunny and Jack glared at each other, finally breaking the death-stare as North clicked his tongue:  
"Boys boys boys...don't make me show you my grumpy side." Both men glanced at each other wide-eyed, quickly ceasing their bickering.

Tooth sighed, nodding at Lily as she fluttered over to them:  
"I see what you're worried about." Lily slowly joined her, looking up at Jack uncertainly as he began breathing heavily:  
"Jack? Are you okay?" He smiled, gently ruffling her hair:  
"I'm fine...just a little tired is all..." she gasped as he slumped forward, straining under his weight:

"Jack!" He laughed tiredly, unable to move:  
"Sorry...ran out of energy." Bunny quickly helped her get him back onto the bed, shaking his head:  
"You're unbelievable mate. Just stay in bed, alright? Don't stress the little lady out too much. She already does enough of it by herself." Lily reluctantly accepted another cookie from Tooth before the fairy left with North and Bunny, offering a piece to Jack:  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Jack chuckled, sweating from his exhausting exertion:  
"I'm fine. Are you really that worried?" she nodded, picking up a damp cloth. Jack smiled softly as she dabbed at his forehead, closing his eyes.

It hadn't been more than a week since they'd arrived at the Pole and she already seemed like a member of the family. She never left his side but she seemed comfortable with everyone and the fact that Tooth was a fairy and that Bunny didn't even faintly resemble a human didn't seem phase her in the slightest. She'd been slightly intimidated by North but had soon grown accustomed to him, even smiling at his "brilliant" ideas. The oddest part was that she didn't even know who any of them were and yet she was still able to see each and every one of them.

He opened his eyes as she finished cooling him off, patting the space beside him. Lily slowly crawled onto the bed, curling up next to him. She gingerly leaned into him as he pulled her closer, munching her cookie quietly:  
"Wanna watch a movie?" she shrugged, staring up at him in surprise as he took her hand and bit off a piece of cookie. He smiled, browsing through the movies on the large television Sandy had installed. Human's had it pretty good.

They chatted quietly for a few moments, laughing as they watched another crappy Sci-fi about giant spiders. Lily tried to stifle her giggles as North came back into the room, a young boy in tow:  
"Glad to see you both feeling better! Anyway, this is Chad. He is another candidate. Chad, this is Jack Frost and Lily." Lily smiled as North introduced the young man, waving shyly. He nodded silently in her direction, slowly unfurling his clenched fists:  
"Nice to meet you...Let's work well together." She nodded, glancing at Jack as he stared at the young man.

Jack closed his eyes as he recalled the photos North had shown them earlier, the image of this young man surfacing. He'd been laying in a hospital bed, tubes keeping him breathing as he fought for his life. He'd suffered his horrific injuries defending one of his friends from a small group of drugged boys who had tried to kill him. Jack opened his eyes as a small warm hand touched his, looking over into worried brown eyes:  
"Don't worry, I'm fine." He looked back to the young man, smiling: "Sorry, still a little out of it. I'm sure we'll work together just fine." he held out his hand, nodding as the young man took it and they shook hands:  
"Thanks." Chad looked Jack up and down, his voice carefully neutral: "Do you mind if I ask what happened?" Jack blinked as Lily unconsciously squeezed his hand, gently stroking her cheek:  
"We had a run in with Pitch on our way here...wasn't exactly friendly." Lily bit her lip as tears once again threatened to spill down her cheeks, fighting to hold them back as Jack ruffled her hair: "Lily saved me big time. If she hadn't been there I might not have made it." she shook her head, wringing her shaking hands:  
"Y-You got hurt though..." North sighed, pulling up a chair for Chad:  
"Do not worry about it little one, Jack will make full recovery and Pitch will think twice before attacking again. Now. Work needs to be done. Will you two look after Chad for a while? I must go see how Bunny and Tooth are doing. They left to go get the other children and Sandy is on his way back." Jack nodded, handing him the remote:  
"Sure, it's not like we're going anywhere anytime soon." He grimaced as he shifted, irritating his cracked rib: "Oww..." Chad sighed as he watched the small girl fuss over the winter spirit, flicking through the channels in search of something to distract him. He blinked as a small hand came to rest on his shoulder, looking over at the small girl:  
"Are you alright?" Chad nodded, leaning back in the chair:  
"Yeah, just tired and...a little overwhelmed." She shrugged, smiling softly:  
"Me too...it'll be okay though, you'll see." he nodded again, watching silently as she went back to trying to mother the spirit. The white haired boy chuckled as she pouted, laughing as he froze the tip of her nose. She sneezed snowflakes, giggling uncontrollably.

"Th-that's cold.."

"Well yes, it's supposed to be cold. It is frost after all." Chad watched the two in amusement as they bickered and played, suddenly sobering as the memories of the last few days resurfaced. It was only yesterday that he had been sitting at home, peacefully playing his video games with his younger siblings...Then all hell broke loose.

Jack paused in their play as he glanced at their third companion, disturbed by his utter silence and haunted expression:  
"Chad? You alright?" the young man blinked, focusing back in on the present:  
"Yea, I'm fine. Just...thinking." Jack nodded, settling back against the pillows:  
"You wanna talk about it? Sometimes just venting is the best way to feel better about something..." Chad took in a shuddering breath, staring down at his clean hands. He could still feel the blood ooze between his fingers:  
"I...I couldn't save them...My brothers...They just..." He gritted his teeth, angry tears threatening to spill down his cheeks: "It was my job to make sure that they wouldn't get hurt...and because of my weakness both of them are dead...and Pitch is still out there...and here I am, watching movies..." He flinched as two small hands wrapped around his fingers, looking up into soft brown eyes:  
"It's not your fault..." he shook his head, diverting his attention from her mesmerizing eyes: "It really isn't Chad...I..." Lily slowly let go of him as she settled onto her knees, staring sadly out the window:  
"I used to think that...I could have done something about my mother's murder...saved her from the pain she was in...but...what could I have done?" she looked back to him, smiling bitterly: "what could either of us have done?" Jack gently stroked her hair as she spoke, stilling her trembling form. She smiled appreciatively, once again taking Chad's large shaking hands:  
"I'm sure you did what you could...and your brothers are proud that you're their big brother...I wish I had a big brother."

Chad sighed as the tears he'd been holding back refused to be withheld, bowing his head as they flowed freely down his cheeks. Lily soothingly rubbed his back, comforting him as he let all of his pent-up emotions out.

The three jumped in surprise as the doors burst open again, looking up at the four figures that trudged in. Jack felt his stomach sink down into the floor as his fellow Guardians slunk into the room, struggling to sit up: "North? What's going on?" The usually jolly man glanced up at them, shaking his head. Tooth fluttered half-heartedly to a chair, curling up:  
"The children...we were too late...Pitch, he..." Lily visibly shuddered at the implications of the situation, a small tear trickling down her cheek. Jack stared stupidly at them for a minute, his mind and heart refusing to accept the answer that had been given:  
"Wait...What? All three? B-But...but how? It's barely been a two weeks since the Winter Angel was killed! How did he find them all so fast?" He clenched his fists angrily, his nails biting into the soft flesh of his palms: "How could he destroy the lives of so many innocent people..." He glanced up at Lily and Chad, a sudden sorrow filling him as he whispered to himself: "Why didn't I stop him before when I had the chance..."

Jack paused as a strong, warm hand fell on his shoulder, looking up at it's owner. Chad stared back at him, determination and understanding emanating off of him in waves:  
"Don't beat yourself up about it Jack. You did what you could in the situation you were in. The only thing that you can do now is ensure that they won't have died in vain. You may not have completely stopped Pitch back then but you sure as hell can do it now." Lily nodded in agreement, taking both of their hands:  
"Chad's right Jack...I promise to do everything I can to help. I may not be the Winter Angel yet but if I do become an Angel I will protect everyone I can..." she rubbed her cheek against his hand, smiling: "Because after you saved me I realized that I want to help others too."

Jack stared open mouthed at the two, baffled. The two of them had been through more horrors in their lives that most people only read about in stories, but now here they were, pledging to give their lives for the safety of others, just as he and the other Guardians had done. Bunny's ears perked up from his corner of the room and he grinned, coming towards them:  
"Got a couple of kickers do we? Well Mates, I have to say it's refreshin' to hear such brave words from ya youngsters. We may make Guardians of ya yet." Sandy fluttered silently in agreement, golden fireworks erupting around him as he danced happily. North nodded in approval, laying a hand on both candidate's shoulders:  
"Haha! Looks like Manny was right! You both have big hearts." Lily and Chad smiled as Jack gave their hands a gentle squeeze. Tooth laughed, twirling through the air:  
"Yes! Let's bring down that bully!" Jack looked between the two candidates, smiling mischievously:  
"Let's do it."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please give your input on the chapters posted so far, I'm having a little bit of writers block and need some fresh ideas. Anything and everything is welcome! Thanks!**


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